December 8: Arvind Kejriwal waves to supporters after beating Sheila Dikshit in the New Delhi constituency
After a Godzilla-sized electoral debut in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party say they will strategize for how to contest the national election next year. The challenges are formidable.
Not only did it push the incumbent Congress into a distant third place, the AAP even deprived the main opposition BJP of a majority in Delhi, underlining its potential to damage both of India's two main parties.
While it only fielded candidates in Delhi, one of five states to elect a new government, Mr Kerjriwal indicated last night that he has wider ambitions.
"I would like to congratulate the people of Delhi for starting a trend of honest politics, which will spread across the entire country and will be successful in getting rid of corruption and inflation," he told supporters on Sunday.
What turned voters to the AAP was their frustration with corruption and price rise. Mr Kejriwal and the AAP pivoted their campaign on a promise to cleanse the political system of deep-rooted graft and arrogance.
That sentiment could work for the AAP in the national election too, but the party will be up against not just the BJP and the Congress, but also regional parties who have established local networks of supporters.
"It won't be a mere fight with BJP and Congress but many regional parties also. Regional parties are strong and close to the people," said political analyst Kuldip Nayar .
For this election in Delhi, the AAP sought small donations and listed supporters on its website. It set a target of 20 crores, and when that amount was raised, it said it would not accept more contributions.
For the national election, giant resources will be needed.
"Unfortunately, you cannot run a huge party nationally just based on ideologies because you ultimately realise that you need big money to do anything. You get big money through illegal means and illegal money is a necessity for power. It's sad, but true," said DH Pai Panandiker, head of the private RPG Foundation think tank.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's second term in office since winning re-election in 2009 has been littered with corruption scandals.
But frustration over corruption is not limited to Congress.
The BJP lost control of the key southern state of Karnataka in May when it paid the price for a multi-billion iron-ore mining scandal.
Mr Kejriwal's supporters say that's why the AAP's message can resonate well beyond Delhi.